MacManus highlights ‘alarming’ decline of North-West region

Sinn Féin MEP Chris MacManus said he would use a series of high-level engagements in the European Commission and Parliament this week to highlight the ‘alarming decline’ of the country’s Northern and Western region.

The MEP was due to meet with Commissioner for Cohesion and Reforms Elisa Ferreira as well as Chair of the European Parliament’s Regional Development Committee Younous Omarjee.

The Midlands Northwest MEP has been meeting with key regional stakeholders in recent weeks and intends to bring their proposals to the decision-makers in Europe.

“The decline of our region in recent years has been alarming and points to a lack of understanding of the challenges we face, both at Government and EU level,” the MEP said.

“The Northern and Western region is unique as the only region in Ireland downgraded to being a region in transition and a moderate innovator region.

“Furthermore, a recent report carried out by the European Parliament confirmed that the region is stuck in a development trap, and has been for many years”.

MEP MacManus said these were worrying indicators and called for urgent action to ensure the decline is reversed.

“In recent weeks I have met with a number of regional stakeholders, including the Northern and Western Regional Assembly, Western Development Commission, Ireland West Airport, Atlantic

Economic Corridor Business Forum, University of Galway and the recently established Atlantic Technological University, to hear their views on how these challenges can be addressed,” he said.

“Many of the same themes emerged from these meetings – the need to address infrastructural deficits, in particular public transport, broadband and renewable energy; the exclusion of the west from the TEN-T Core Network; the lack of autonomy for regional decision-making and finance; Government’s failure to adequately utilise EU funding as well as a number of other specific issues”.

Addressing these issues, he said, would bring investment, opportunity, and high value jobs to the region.